Social Issues Shift Focus in Colorado Senate Race

Both Republicans and Democrats are keeping a close eye on Colorado's congressional races. As election day nears, the two Senate candidates, Republican Ken Buck and incumbent Democrat Michael Bennet, are polling dead even. The race is one of the closest in the country.

“
What's really interesting is this 10 percent threshold: recent polls have the Republican candidate polling below percent. If he doesn't have a 10 percent threshold, it means that the state Republican party will become a minority party for the next four years.

Buck's recent discussion of social issues — saying homosexuality is a choice and refusing to prosecute a rape when he was Weld Country DA in 2005 — is taking the focus off of the economy, the main concern of voters in Colorado. Democrats hope this will create enough of an opening for Bennet to take and hold the lead for the last few days of the campaign. Other Congressional races around Colorado are also polling closely, with Republicans holding an edge in the northern and western parts of the state. We speak with Bente Birkland, statehouse reporter for Rocky Mountain Community Radio.